Jamal Hyde, shooting vicitm
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Apr. 7, 2025
Several persons were injured in two separate non-fatal shooting incidents that occurred in Belize City and Belmopan over the weekend.
The first incident, which was captured in security camera footage, took place before noon on Saturday, April 5, in Belmopan, and resulted in one person being injured.
In the footage, the victim, 23-year-old Jamal Hyde of Roaring Creek Village, Cayo District, can be seen inside a parked vehicle in front of T&J Store in the Cohune Walk area with two other persons, when a heavily tinted white suburban SUV appears behind them and stops.
Bullet riddled vehcile
The right back window of the SUV was lowered, and a gunman emerged, blasting several gunshots at Hyde’s vehicle. Hyde and his passengers hurriedly escaped through the opposite side of their car, then the suburban SUV drove away.
An estimated 13 gunshots were fired, but none of the shots were fatal, as only Hyde received a single gunshot injury to his leg. He drove himself to the Western Regional Hospital for treatment; and he has since been released.
Some reports are suggesting that one of Hyde’s own relatives ordered a hit on him; and ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander for the Belize Police Department’s Eastern Division, believes that this is a likely scenario, since there was a dispute among the family members.
ACP Romero confirmed that a firearm was recovered and several persons have been detained, pending investigation.
On the day after this incident, after 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, three persons were injured as a result of another shooting incident, this one in the Iguana Street Extension area of Belize City.
Iguana Street where the shooting took place
According to reports, two gunmen on a motorcycle rode up to three persons – two adults and a minor – who were at a residence, and began firing several gunshots in their direction before riding away. The victims were identified as 56-year-old Marelee Richards, 36-year-old Edgar Choc, and a 12-year-old minor. They were all taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where they are listed as being in a stable condition.
ACP Romero said that none of the victims were the intended target, but another individual who was also present had actually been the target of the shooters. However, that person escaped unharmed. He added that the shooting may be retaliation for last week’s fatal shooting that claimed the life of 20-year-old Coby Ledlon.
“It is of concern, so we will do several operations and bring in the persons from those areas to try to prevent any further retaliation,” he said.
Several persons are in custody pending investigation and are believed to be associated with the local street groups within the area and Neal Pen Road.